Theater review: La Jolla Playhouse’s ‘Derecho’ not quite the storm imagined

There are a thousand ideas swirling around in Noelle Viñas play “Derecho,” which made its world premiere this week at La Jolla Playhouse.

During the 95-minute play — which is named after an extreme combination of winds and thunderstorms — the six characters wrestle with issues of racism, privilege, politics, poverty, parenting, immigration, trauma, social status, family secrets and more. If that sounds like a lot, it is. Although there are moments of  resonance in the story and it ends well, the play gets bogged down with too much talk (and too little storm action).

The play is set in a luxurious home in affluent Alexandria, Virginia, as a massive derecho blasts its way across the state. Its central characters are Uruguayan American half-sisters Eugenia, who is is running for public office on a progressive platform, and younger sibling Mercedes, a musician who is broke after the cancellation of her concert tour and has no place to live.

While Eugenia lives a prosperous life with her attorney husband, Gabe, she has lost touch with her heritage, and Mercedes — in magical realism-style breakaway scenes nicely staged by director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg — is trying to help Eugenia get her Latin rhythms back.

On this stormy day, Eugenia and Gabe have invited over her scrappy childhood friend-turned-Latinx-community leader, José, in hopes of recruiting him as  campaign manager. Adding to the mix are Mercedes’ wealthy and White ex-boyfriend, Jeff, and...